Monthly Archives: February 2013

1 Corinthians 12-13, Psalms 104

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We’re all part of the same body, different skills and purposes, but designed so that “the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”  We all need each other, if we’re going to effectively imitate Jesus.

The Psalms remind us of the complexity and majesty of God’s creation, and how reliant every living thing is on the continued care of God, “when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.”

We have been created, both individually and as a community, to serve God.  It is up to us to have the same attitude as the Psalmist when he wrote “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.”

 

Psalms 103, 1 Corinthians 11

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The Psalmist gives us a number of reasons to praise God. “Forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit.” Later, “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him.”

God’s love is demonstrated in His willingness to forgive us.  His ways are so far above ours, yet He is willing to show love to those that respond to Him.  It is a steadfast love, dependable and enduring, unlike man whose “days are like grass”.

We are reminded of that love weekly, when we remember the sacrifice of Jesus through the bread and the wine. Jesus’ love in giving his life is a perfect embodiment of God’s love for us.  So let us “forget not all his benefits”, and praise God for the interest He shows in our lives.

Exodus 39-40, Psalms 102, 1 Corinthians 10

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In Exodus, the construction of the Tabernacle has just completed, and a cloud covers the tabernacle, with the glory of God filling the tabernacle, so much so that Moses was unable to enter it.  “The cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.”

The Israelites enjoyed a very visible demonstration that God was with them.  Paul refers to that presence “our fathers were all under the cloud…nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased… these things took place as examples for us.”

We don’t have a pillar of fire or cloud in our lives to show us that God is with us, but we do have assurances that God is with us.  “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

We all fail at various points, giving in to the desires of temptation. But even in the dispair and regret that surely follows such an event, we can be comforted in the knowledge that God has provided us with a way of escaping such temptation.  I pray that we all will have the strength to choose that escape option next time we are tempted, rather than giving in.

“Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!”

Psalms 100-101

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The Psalmist writes “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Such an amazing verse, full of deep and powerful concepts.

God has made us. Just like any earthly artist, God’s creations belong to Him.  But we don’t just belong to God like an inanimate piece of pottery.  God provides for our every need, in the same way that a shepherd devotes his life to keeping his sheep safe and healthy, providing the best possible conditions for his sheep.

So we belong to God, He provides for our needs.  But He goes even further than that shepherd or that artist. “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”  God loves us, a strong enduring love that is faithful across countless generations.  The only reasonable response is to do as the Psalmist writes, and “Serve the Lord with gladness!”

Psalms 96-99

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The Psalmist paints a picture of the whole earth praising God. Heavens, earth, see, field, trees, all rejoice because of the impending judgement of God.

 

Psalms 94-95

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The Psalmist is greatly encouraged by the steadfastness and surety of God. “But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.”  Our God is a loving God, who can be relied on, “For the Lord will not forsake his people”.

He created us, so He knows exactly what we are going through. “He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?” Our God “knows the thoughts of man” intimately, because he created our capacity to think in the first place.  He knows exactly our limits, and how to help us. “When I thought, My foot slips, your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.”

In fact, God’s greatness exceeds even our ability to comprehend it.  “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.”  And yet He cares for us, as a shepherd cares for his sheep. “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” We belong to God, who watches over us every moment of our lives, who provides for our every need, who feels when we suffer and rejoices when we obey Him.

These might be just words to you right now. But read these Psalms. Think about them.  See yourself in David’s thoughts, because we’re exactly like David. Too often our pride gets in the way of praying to God for help, for encouragement and guidance. “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”

Exodus 35, Psalms 92-93

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Psalm 92 continues with some of the thoughts in Psalm 90. “It is good to give thanks to the Lord… to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night”.  In other words, our minds should be continually focused on God.

The Psalmist writes “How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep!”  Even the wisest of men can’t comprehend how great God is, and the depths of His grace and mercy.  But we’re also given a sober warning, “The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass…they are doomed to destruction forever”.

Without God in our lives, we are like that fool, doomed to destruction forever. Although we can’t currently understand the greatness of God, we can understand that He loves us, and is faithful to us, if we remain faithful to Him.  That’s all we need to understand, to “flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”

The idea of focusing our minds on God also is found in Exodus 35, through the reference to the sabbath.  In a farming community where manual labour is essential for subsistence, having a day where no work was to be done would be difficult. Would require faith that God would bless one’s labour on the remaining six days.  The Sabbath ensured that everyone had a chance to contemplate the greatness of God.  In our lives of luxury and time-saving devices, we have so much more time available to contemplate God’s steadfast love and His faithfulness.  Let’s make an effort to really meditate on God’s word, be encouraged and strengthened by His word.

Psalms 90-91, 1 Corinthians 3

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Psalm 90 was written by Moses. He reminds the reader about the eternal existence of God, and contrasts that with the brevity of human life. He also writes “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”

It’s an interesting idea, relating to an earlier statement that humans are “like grass that is renewed in the morning”. Only regular interaction with God can renew us, give us something to rejoice about.

The idea of God being involved in our growth and continual existence is also referred to by Paul, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” A life that involves God is a satisfying one, involving regular renewal and growth. By contrast, mankind of itself is “like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.”

Psalm 89

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Ethan the Ezrahite writes “Blessed are the people … who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.”

Which makes me wonder, do I walk in the light of God’s face? Do I exult God’s name throughout the day?  God “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God”. Let’s try and walk in that light, and find ways to exult God’s name.

Mark 15-16

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A record of the final hours of Jesus’ life, and the events surrounding that.  One thing that stands out is the faithfulness of Joseph of Arimathea.  Jesus was dead. Not even Jesus’ closest disciples had understood what he meant when talking about being crucified and raised, so its probable that Joseph wouldn’t have understood either.

Yet here is Joseph, putting at risk his position on the council to properly take care of the body of Jesus.  He risked everything he had in life, to bury the man who he’d believed was the Messiah; a man who’d just suffered a cruel, humiliating death.  That takes an incredible amount of faith, courage and self-sacrifice.

We have the benefit of hindsight to help us understand the reason for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Joseph’s faith should inspire us to “seek first the kingdom of God”, knowing that our faith now will be rewarded in the life to come.